KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — Thailand has followed the steps of Indonesia and confirmed its withdrawal from the ongoing bidding process for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said in a statement today, leaving China and South Korea as the remaining two.
It is not yet known why Thailand withdrew from the bidding, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier this month, the AFC hosted a bid workshop for the bidding process, inviting officials from China, Thailand and South Korea to Kuala Lumpur to discuss the matter.
It is believed that the final decision will be made in 2018.
South Korea, which has never hosted the tournament since the year of 1960, is considered to be a major rival of China.
The United Arab Emirates will host the AFC Asian Cup 2019 between Jan 5 and Feb 1, 2019, when for the first time, participants in the tournament will be expanded from 16 to 24. — Bernama
